Recipes and styling, Sasha Zambetti, Photography Christoph Hoffmann
Potato spinach casserole
Great as a side order to a Turkish lamb dish.
Serves: 4
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
750g potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 egg
90ml milk
30g butter
15ml olive oil
100g fresh/frozen spinach
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
100g cheddar/mozzarella cheese, grated
Method:
1 Boil the potatoes in salted water. Drain and mash with the egg, milk and butter. Season well and transfer into an oven-proof dish.
2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion with the garlic until glossy. Add the spinach and cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.
3 Spread the spinach over the mashed potato, then top with the cheese. Bake at 200ºC for 15 minutes or until the cheese melts and turns golden.
Cheese patties
A tasty starter option.
Serves: 4 – 6
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
200g of hard cheese (parmesan/cheddar/mozzarella)
2 eggs, beaten
60ml milk
120ml flour
Oil to fry
Method:
1 Slice the cheese to 5mm thickness. In a bowl, combine the eggs and milk. Soak the cheese in the mixture.
2 Heat the oil until it crackles when you throw in a pinch of flour. Toss the soaked cheese in a bowl of flour (use your hands to make sure it is well coated – it may help to put it back into the mixture then back into the flour).
3 Gently lower the pieces of cheese into the hot oil and fry in batches until golden, turning every 30 seconds.
Babaghanush
A yummy snack – delicious with pita bread or Middle-Eastern wraps.
Serves: 6 – 8
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
2 medium aubergines
30ml olive oil
3 gloves of garlic, crushed
250ml yogurt
Juice of half a lemon/lime
Method:
1 Preheat the oven grill. Roast the aubergines until they are soft, turning occasionally.
2 Remove the skins of the roasted aubergines and mash them in a food processor.
3 In a frying pan, heat the olive oil. Sauté the garlic and aubergine purée for 4 minutes. Let it cool for a couple of minutes before stirring in the yogurt and lemon juice. Season well.
Garlic prawns
If you buy raw, peeled prawns, you can cook them in the butter for 5 minutes before adding the garlic.
Serves: 4
Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
30g butter
500g prawns, peeled and boiled
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Handful fresh basil, chopped
Method:
1 Melt the butter in a frying pan. Sauté the prawns and garlic for 5 minutes.
2 Add the lemon juice and basil, and season well. Serve hot.
Hoshmarim
A comfort dessert.
Serves: 4
Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
500g ricotta cheese
30ml semolina
125ml sugar
30ml cream
5ml vanilla essence
Method:
1 Beat together the egg yolks, ricotta cheese, semolina, sugar and cream until it forms a smooth mixture.
2 Place the mixture in a saucepan, stirring occasionally. Cook until the semolina has cooked through – about 10 minutes.
Stuffed courgettes
Find the largest courgettes you can for this recipe.
Serves: 6
Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
8 large courgettes
250g minced beef
2 garlic cloves, crushed
30g bulgur wheat
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1 small red pepper, finely chopped
3 tomatoes, finely chopped
15ml lemon juice
Method:
1 Wash the courgettes and cut them in half. Cut off the ends and then use a small pointed knife to hollow them out.
2 Make the filling: fry the mince in a non-stick frying pan until browned. Add the garlic, bulgur wheat, spring onion and red pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and lemon juice, and season well.
3 Use a teaspoon to stuff the courgettes with the mince filling – try tapping the courgettes on the counter rather than pushing in the filling. Place them in a small roasting dish and bake for 15 – 20 minutes.
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